Water, Fire, Earth, Man

With all the drama going on in the Gulf of Mexico and the BP oil spill, I thought I’d look back at man’s on-going fascination with the water realm, and how we continue to hurt it, or at least take it for granted.

We all know that over 2/3 of the planet is water, and the irony in naming this water world Earth. We all know that more people have been to the Moon than to the deepest parts of our oceans, whose inhabitants are veritable aliens in their own right. But with more people living in urban areas than rural areas than at any time in history, and with an increasing number (approaching 2.75 billion) living in or near coastal areas, we’re playing with fire by being too close to water… Tsunamis, storm surges, sea level rise… It’s all doom and gloom.

So what’s the appeal? Coastal areas are attractive to business and industry as they facilitate trade, shipping and fishing. Businesses and industries attract more businesses and industries which attract more people. Coastal areas, particularly in tropical areas, also attract retirees and the vacation crowds. Coastal wildlife attract researchers and tourists (al-a divers et al) alike, with its richly diverse flora and fauna, and the appealing landscapes that accompanies many coastal locations. So a necessity (for shipping and fishing etc) turned to fascination, now bordering on addiction, with rampant coastal development and marine resource exploitation (over-fishing, deep sea drilling, etc) and a damn-the-consequences attitude about the whole thing.

The problem is, there’s only so much land available at the coast, and we’re swarming it. Sure, we add a few more hectares by reclaiming land (and super-stylizing it like in Dubai), but it doesn’t change the fact. And our population keeps growing. Remember, ultimately, everything’s connected to the oceans, so even upstream, waste generated ends up fouling the seas, either as solid waste (Great Pacific Garbage Patch anyone?) or otherwise, and our appetites for seafood, both in terms of volume and exotic dishes, have pushed our fisheries situation to the brink.

People need to start practicing and living sustainably, and fast. Awareness is half the battle, but you don’t win half-battles.